My working for the second part is shown below. Insert ##T_{\mu \nu}## and contract with ##\partial^{\mu}##. This gives

$$(\partial^{\mu}F_{\mu \rho}) F_{\nu \sigma} \eta^{\rho \sigma} + F_{\mu \rho}(\partial^{\mu} F_{\nu \sigma}) \eta^{\rho \sigma} - \frac{1}{4}\eta_{\mu \nu}(\partial^{\mu}F_{\alpha \beta})F^{\alpha \beta} - \frac{1}{4} \eta_{\mu \nu} F_{\alpha \beta}(\partial^{\mu}F^{\alpha \beta})$$
The first term is zero by Maxwell eqn. In the last term, lower the index on the ##\partial^{\mu}## term and then use the fact that ##\eta_{\mu \nu} \eta^{\mu \gamma} = \delta^{\gamma}_{\nu}## to reduce the last term to ##\frac{1}{4} F_{\alpha \beta} \partial_{\nu} F^{\alpha \beta}##. The same analysis can be applied on third term. Then use the fact that ##F^{\alpha \beta} = F_{\rho \sigma} \eta^{\alpha \rho} \eta^{\beta \sigma}##. The third and fourth terms are then identical and the whole expression reduces to $$F_{\mu \rho} \eta^{\mu \alpha} \partial_{\alpha} F_{\nu \sigma} \eta^{\rho \sigma} - \frac{1}{2} (\partial_{\nu}F_{\alpha \beta})F^{\alpha \beta} = F^{\alpha \sigma} \partial_{\alpha} F_{\nu \sigma} - \frac{1}{2} (\partial_{\nu}F_{\alpha \beta})F^{\alpha \beta}$$. I'm unsure of a next step. Possibly rearrange ##\partial_{\alpha}F_{\nu \sigma}## using the second Maxwell eqn above but not sure if this would help.

$$ F^{\alpha \sigma} \partial_{\alpha} F_{\nu \sigma} - \frac{1}{2} (\partial_{\nu}F_{\alpha \beta})F^{\alpha \beta}$$. I'm unsure of a next step. Possibly rearrange ##\partial_{\alpha}F_{\nu \sigma}## using the second Maxwell eqn above but not sure if this would help.

Yes, that would be a good idea. Also, note that in the first term, the index ##\sigma## is a dummy index. Think about renaming this index so that the term looks more similar to the last term.

Not sure of all the things you did here. Especially the sign changes. Let's see. You had $$ F^{\alpha \sigma} \partial_{\alpha} F_{\nu \sigma} - \frac{1}{2} (\partial_{\nu}F_{\alpha \beta})F^{\alpha \beta}$$
And, for now, you just want to rename the dummy index ##\sigma## in the first term to something more appropriate. If that's all you do, then what do you get?

Or, note that if you contract ##F^{\alpha \beta}## with any tensor ##B_{\mu \nu \sigma}##, say, to get the expression ##F^{\alpha \beta}B_{\alpha \beta \nu}## , then due to the antisymmetry of ##F^{\alpha \beta}##, you get the identity $$F^{\alpha \beta}B_{\alpha \beta \nu} = -F^{\beta \alpha}B_{\alpha \beta \nu} = -F^{\alpha \beta}B_{\beta \alpha \nu}$$ where the last equality is just renaming dummy indices.

Thus interchanging the contracted indices on B in the expression ##F^{\alpha \beta}B_{\alpha \beta \nu}## just changes the overall sign of the expression.

You have $$F^{\alpha \beta} \left\{ \frac{1}{2}\partial_{\alpha} F_{\nu \beta} + \frac{1}{2}\partial_{\beta}F_{\nu \alpha} \right\} = \frac{1}{2}F^{\alpha \beta}\partial_{\alpha} F_{\nu \beta} + \frac{1}{2}F^{\alpha \beta}\partial_{\beta}F_{\nu \alpha} $$ How does the second term compare to the first term?

You have $$F^{\alpha \beta} \left\{ \frac{1}{2}\partial_{\alpha} F_{\nu \beta} + \frac{1}{2}\partial_{\beta}F_{\nu \alpha} \right\} = \frac{1}{2}F^{\alpha \beta}\partial_{\alpha} F_{\nu \beta} + \frac{1}{2}F^{\alpha \beta}\partial_{\beta}F_{\nu \alpha} $$ How does the second term compare to the first term?

The second term is minus the first term. ##\frac{1}{2}F^{\alpha \beta}\partial_{\beta}F_{\nu \alpha} = \frac{1}{2}F^{\beta \alpha}\partial_{\alpha}F_{\nu \beta} = -\frac{1}{2}F^{\alpha \beta}\partial_{\alpha}F_{\nu \beta}## and so the whole expression reduces to 0.